Surviving The Office Potluck

On a regular basis we like to eat foods rich in vitamins and nutrients and without harmful additives. I really feel this is the key to good health for my family. Many of us discover very early in December that eating real food during this month-long celebration is very difficult. Everywhere you turn there is someone bringing sweets and treats loaded with artificial ingredients. There are parties, gatherings, and special events in greater numbers than any other time of year.

I’ve gathered some advice here to help with the office potluck. At a typical office potluck you will have a variety of people and dishes………from the home chef to the last-minute grocery store processed food grabber. You can check out Juggling Real Food and Real life on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest for more great recipes, advice, and motivation to get you through the holidays and beyond.

1. Don’t give up on real food. This is the best advice I can give. Avoid the “all or nothing” attitude. Sure, there will be plenty of times people want to push food-like substances into your face, but there are probably more meals in the month that you are completely in control of. Start each day off with a good breakfast. Eggs and bacon or a big bowl of oats are fantastic options. If you need some ideas, you can check here. Think of every meal as an opportunity to nourish your body with what it needs to get through this busy holiday season. Stay determined! If you eat good nourishing food the rest of the day then you don’t have to worry as much about the office potluck. We strive to eat real food 80% of the time so one office potluck certainly is not going to ruin that plan.

2. Think of a polite way to say, “No thanks” to the garbage food that is offered to you. We certainly don’t want to be rude to our friends. I like to say, “No thank you” and if they push, I say, ” It’s a health issue.” My health issue is that my body feels horrible when I eat junk food. You don’t have to have allergies or any other health issue to use this line. Not everyone eats or even understands real food. I don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable by telling them about all of the cancer causing ingredients in the dish they just asked me to try. That would be awkward!

3. Take a real food dish to share. If you get stuck not knowing what to eat at the office potluck, you at least have your dish to eat until you get home. I will usually eat what I bring and look for some party staples like veggie trays, fruit, and salads. Umm……not the whipped cream and marshmallow salads or the dip with the famous processed cheese product. A couple of my favorite dishes to bring to any potluck is my homemade garlic and lemon hummus and my easy caprese salad.

4. Hosting the office potluck? That is fantastic! Now you have a little more control over the foods that you put out for you and your guests. Make a list of items you would like and have your co-workers sign up. You can help out by bringing the main course. Crock pot Sloppy Joe works great. Keep your choices as real and simple as possible. Don’t make a big deal out of it. We don’t want to scare everyone away with our healthy food.5. Just a Bite. There are sweets everywhere. It really is just too much! The problem is that I am a guilt eater. I hate to throw away something that somebody paid for. What I have decided to do instead is to fully enjoy my favorites. A couple of bites of my favorite sweets go a long way. I certainly don’t need an entire double sized piece of chocolate fudge cake. I have found that when I’m not over-sugared I feel better. Sugar tastes great, but sure does slow me down.We are talking about lifelong health and wellness here. Focus on all of the things you will be able to do if you are not tired and sick all of the time. With practice, eating real food gets easier and yes……..you can survive the office potluck. Keep plugging away. You can do this!